Yes, they can be very awkward.

Here I was sitting at my desk, while everyone in the office (minus a few) rushed over to the break room to fill their paper plates with food our company graciously set up for us to enjoy. My boss, who had a loaded plate with a hoagie, some meatballs, and vegetables, mentioned for the third time that there’s food in the break room and I should get myself a plate.

Normally, I would get myself a free lunch (yes—there’s no such thing as a free lunch), but I reminded myself as to why this lunch is happening in the first place. Two long-time employees are retiring, and this celebration is for them. I have been with this company for five years now, and not once have I spoken a word to either of them. I’d put money on it that if we were to bump into each other, they wouldn’t know my name, and the same goes for me as well.

So, due to a made-up scenario in my head, I opted to avoid the break room and avoid a nonexistent awkward situation where I would have to congratulate them on their retirement. It would be formal of me to do so, but then hearing “Thanks…,” is what I would rather not endure—forced nicety, for a plate of lunch.

I started at this company right before the COVID-19 pandemic, so I didn’t know many people there. However, over the years, I did talk to a lot of them on Zoom or Teams and got to know them better. But sometime in the last year, one to two years, most of the people there had left, and when it was time for our new CEO to implement more in-office days, I felt like I was walking into a completely new environment with new people.

The feeling of being forced into the office left a sour taste in my mouth. Some people love the workplace culture, but once I got a taste of full-time remote work, I would rather avoid that and awkward company lunches. That’s just me, though.